Means for indicating level of plastic material in containers



MEANS FOR P. R. WEITZEL.

INDICATING LEVEL OF PLASTIC MATERIAL IN CONT AINERS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, I919.

Patented A r. 13, 1920.

PAUL R. WEITZEL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR INDICATING LEVEL OF PLASTIC MATERIAL IN CONTAINERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application filed April 26, 1919. Serial No. 293,039.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PAUL R. WnrrznL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Means for Indicating Level of Plastic Material in Containers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention, broadly stated, relates to that class of articles from which is adapted to be expressed, by proper manipulation, the plastic contents thereof, as for example semi-liquid soap from a cartridge to the bristles of a lather brush.

In articles of this character, especially in the case of a lather brush, it is desirable to know when the supply is nearly exhausted so that provision may be made for replenishment thereof.

The leading object of the present invention resides in the provision of a definite signal or indicator for an article of the class stated whereby when the supply of plastic material being expressed or fed is nearly exhausted the user may be advised of the fact by visual or other means.

The invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described and finally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part thereof in which is disclosed, for illustrative purposes a lather brush, principally in central section, provided with means for indicating the level of its semi-liquid contents.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred by me,.since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

A lather brush of the type illustrated in the drawings is efficient for the purposes de signed and effects a great saving in soap. However the user has no means of detecting the level of soap in the cartridge 10 because of the cover 11 forming the handle of the lather brush so that frequently the cartridge is empty when the user endeavors to express soap to the bristles 12. By the present invention this disadvantageous feature is eliminated in the following simple, economical, eiiicient, practical and commercially valuable manner. In loading the cartridge 10 superimposed layers of soap possessed of distinct characteristics are employed of which the upper or inner layer a is appreciably smaller in quantity than is the lower or outer layer 6., Thus when the outer layer has been fed to the bristles 12, further expression of the cartridge contents advises the user of the lather brush that the supply is about exhausted. One method of differentiating these layers is to form layer 6 of the usual clear soap now employed in brushes of this character and to form layer a of soap having a harmless coloring matter added thereto. By this method a visual signal is indicated. Another method of differentiating these layers is to form layer 6 of clear, unscented soap and to form layer a of scented soap. Thus while no visual difference is discerned, the user is notified by the sense of smell that reloading of the lather brush is required. While for illustrative purposes a lather brush has been illustrated and described obviously the principle of the invention is applicable to other articles from which plastic material is expressed.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its ad vantages.

What I claim is:

1. In an article of the character stated, the combination of a container, plastic material composed of layers of distinct characteristics contained therein of which one of said layers serves as a signal during expression to designate that :the container requires refilling and means for expressing said material from the container.

2. In an article of-"the character stated,

5 the combination of a container, plastic material composed of layers of distinct characteristics contained therein of which one layer is appreciably "smaller than the other layer and z'serves as a signal during expr'e'sslon to deal n'a'te'that the container requlres refilhn an means for expressing said material rom' said container.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed by name.

PAUL R. WEITZEL. 

